likewise told you, that he disobeys the orders of the Court of Directors, and defies the laws of his country, as a signal of his authority.

Now, what does he recommend to the Board? That it will be pleased to confirm the appointment which Mr. Markham made in obedience to his individual orders as well as the directions which he had given him, to exact from Baboo Durbedgy Sing, with the utmost rigour, every rupee of the collections; and either to confine him at Benares, or send him to Chunar; and imprison him there, until the whole of his arrears were paid up. Here then, my Lords, you have, what plainly appears in every act of Mr. Hastings, a feeling of resentment for some personal injury. "I feel myself," says he, "and may be allowed on such an occasion "to acknowledge it, personally hurt at the "'ingratitude of this man, and the discredit "which his ill conduct has thrown on my appointment of him. The Rajah himself,

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scarcely arrived at the verge of manhood, "was in understanding but little advanced be"yond the term of childhood; and it had been "the policy of Cheit Sing to keep him equally "secluded from the world and from business." This is the character Mr. Hastings gives of a man, whom he appointed to govern the country. He goes on to say of Durbedgy Sing;-" As VOL. XV. "he

Q

"he was allowed a jaghire of a very liberal "amount, to enable him to maintain a state and

consequence suitable both to the relation in "which he stood to the Rajah, and the high "office which had been assigned to him, and "sufficient also to free him from the tempta❝tion of little and mean peculations, it is there"fore my opinion, and I recommend that Mr. "Markham be ordered to divest him of his jaghire, and reunite it to the Malguzzary, or "the land paying its revenue, through the Rajah, to the Company.

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"The opposition made by the Rajah, and "the old Rannee, both equally incapable of judging for themselves, do certainly originate "from some secret influence, which ought to be "checked by a decided and peremptory decla"ration of the authority of the Board, and a "denunciation of their displeasure at their pre"sumption. If they can be induced to yield "the appearance of a cheerful acquiescence in "the new arrangement, and to adopt it as a

measure formed with their participation, it "would be better than that it should be done

by a declared act of compulsion, but at all " events it ought to be done." My Lords, it had been already done; the naib was dismissed; he was imprisoned: his jaghire was confiscated; all these things were done by Mr. Hastings's orders.

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orders. He had resolved to take the whole upon himself; he had acted upon that resolulution before he addressed this letter to the Board.

Thus, my Lords, was this unhappy man punished without any previous trial, or any charges, except the complaints of Mr. Markham, and some other private information which Mr. Hastings said he had received. Before the poor object of these complaints could make up his accounts, before a single step was taken, judicially or officially, to convict him of any crime, he was sent to prison, and his private estates confiscated.

My Lords, the Commons of Great Britain claim from you, that no man shall be imprisoned till a regular charge is made against him, and the accused fairly heard in his defence. They claim from you, that no man shall be imprisoned on a matter of account, until the account is settled between the parties. And claiming this, we do say, that the Prisoner's conduct towards Durbedgy Sing was illegal, unjust, violent and oppressive. The imprisonment of this man was clearly illegal on the part of Mr. Hastings, as he acted without the authority of the Council, and doubly oppressive, as the imprisoned man was thereby disabled from settling his account with

the numberless sub-accountants, whom he had to deal with in the collection of the revenue.

Having now done with these wicked, flagitious, abandoned and abominable acts, I shall proceed to the extraordinary powers given by Mr. Hastings to his instrument Mr. Markham, who was employed in perpetrating these acts, and to the very extraordinary instructions which he gave this instrument for his conduct in the execution of the power entrusted to him. In a letter to Mr. Markham, he says, "I need not tell

you, my dear Sir, that I possess a very high

opinion of your abilities, and that I repose the "utmost confidence in your integrity." He might have had reason for both, but he scarcely left to Mr. Markham the use of either. He arbitrarily imposed upon him the tasks which he wished him to execute, and he engaged to bear out his acts by his own power. "From your "long residence at Benares," says he, "and "from the part you have had in the business of "that zemindary, you must certainly best know "the men who are most capable and deserving "of publick employment. From among these "I authorize you to nominate a naib to the Rajah, in the room of Durbedgy Sing, whom, "on account of his ill conduct, I think it necessary to dismiss from that office. It will be

hardly necessary to except Oossaun Sing from "the description of men to whom I have limited

"your choice, yet it may not be improper to

apprize you, that I will, on no terms, con"sent to his being naib. In forming the "arrangements, consequent upon this new appointment, I request you will, as far as you

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can with propriety, adopt those which were "in use during the life of Bulwant Sing; so "far, at least, as to have distinct offices for dis"tinct purposes, independent of each other, "and with proper men at the head of each; so "that one office may detect or prevent any "abuses or irregularities in the others, and to

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gether form a system of reciprocal checks.

Upon that principle I desire you will in parti"cular establish, under whatever names, one "office of receipts, and another of treasury; "the officers of both must be responsible for the "truth and regularity of their respective ac"counts, but not subject in the statement of "them, to the controul or interference of the "Rajah or naib; nor should they be removable "at pleasure, but for manifest misconduct only. "At the head of one or other of these offices "I could wish to see the late Boxey Rogoober

Dyall; his conduct in his former office, his "behaviour on the revolt of Cheit Sing, and "particularly at the fall of Bidjigur, together Q 3

with